Hot top



A. R. RowE June 3, 1930.

HOT TOP Filed Sept. 6. 1928 Patentedv June 3, 1936 I ANDREW R. ROWE, or MIDLAND, PENNSYLVANIA.)

HOT TOP Application filed September 6, 1928. Serial No. 304,296.

This invention relates to improvements in hot tops and has for an object the provis1on of means for decreasing the amount of piping ordinarily formed in iron. ingots.

y improvement maybe used in-connection with a refractory hot top open at its top and bottom but provided with a refractory loose bottom or the improvement may beused without such a hot top to decrease the piping in the ingot.

Another object of the invention is to improve the facilities for handling hot tops and for cheapening their manufacture without lessening their efficiency.

With these and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, I will now describe my invention in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 represents a plan view of one form of hot top;

Fig. 2 is a crosssection of the hot top shown in Figure 1, and a cross section of the top of the mold showingv the hot top after it hasl been seated on the top of the iron in the mo d;

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the hot top and upper portion of the mold showing the position of the parts after an additional pouring of iron when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 2;

Fig. 4 is a view of the loose bottom for the hot top;

Fig. 5 is a view of a very much shorter hot top than the one shown in Figures 2 and 3; v

Fig. 6 is a view showing a kind of hot top that is proposed to be used in my invention;

Fig.7 is a view showing a part of the hot top of Figure 6 with a portion broken away;

Fig. 8 is a view ofthe under side of the hot top shown in Figure 6;

Fig. 9 is a view showing a modified form of hot top of Figure 6;

Fig. 10 is a view showing the use of a part of the hot top shown in Figure 9;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the hot top shown in Figure 10;

its bottom rests the hot top 3 which will, however,

Figure 12 is another modified form of the hot top shown in Figure, 11, and

Figure 13 is a bottom view of the hot top shown in Figure 12.

1 is a mold of ordinary construction. In the practice of my invention I 'pour into the mold the melted iron 2 until the top has reached a desirable point near the top of the mold. The ordinary ladle, not shown, is then moved on to another mold or a se ries of molds and an attendant, after the melted iron is poured into the mold, sets the hot top 3 in the top of the mold so that on the melted top of the lIQIl ingot. The hot top 3 being ordinarily of refractory material, is lighter than the iron and will rest on the top-as shown in Figure 2.

I may then place the loose fitting bottom 4 in the hot top and after the ladle has been moved to other molds, it a second time and the iron poured into of Figure 2. The melted metal at its top having frozen around'the hot top 3 holds it firmly in place while; the second pouring of metal raises the top of the melted iron gto some convenient point as shown in Figure carrying with it the loose bottom 4 to the position shown in Figure 3. In this position the ingot is allowed to cool and ordinarily it will "be: found that the pipingat the top ofthe metal in the mold, which may have assumed a position suc ated in the mold and the shape of the top of that portion of the metal above the top of the mold will be as indicated in Figure 3.

in Figure 3, my

} improvement permits the use of a hot top such as shown in Figure 5 function very much as the hot tops shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The bottom 4 of the hot top is loose in the same and can rise in the hot top as the metal is poured onto the bottom and since the bottom is lighter than the metal,' the metal will run through the holes 5 in the bottom andaround the edges of the bottom and get under the same and raise it to the top of the as shown in Figure 6, has been obliter- Instead of using a deep hot top as shown' piping in the ingot from be made with flanges indicated in Fi ure 6, I

.the broken away part b block 16 over the opemng hot top. By my improved method and apparatus I have been enabled to reduce the fifteen to thirty percent of the piping as it ordinarily exists without my improved apparatus and method..

Instead of using the hot tops as shown in Figures 1 to 5, I may use what might be called a refractory cover 8 shown'in Fig ures 6 and 8. This cover may conveniently 9 and 10 at its bottom and a thin portion 11 within the flanges. After the metal is poured into the mold as insert the cover 8 in the mold. T e cover is preferably made smaller than the interior top of the mold leaving a space 12. Whentplaced on top of the melted metal, the flanges 9 and 10 will sink down somewhat into the metal and the metal will rise in the space 12 and freeze the cover onto the metal. I then, by a sharp blow of an instrument, break away the thin portion 11 and pour a second time ated and; a second block 21 is placed over the hole 19 as shown in Figure 12 and allowed to remain until the metal freezes.

In all the modifications, the metal is first poured into the molds until it reaches any desirable height and into the metal, then allowing the metal to' freeze around the cover, then removing a some metal into the mold and since the metal part of thecover to expose the top of the is heavier than the broken fragments of the cover, it will fill the piping indicated in Figure 6 and bring the metal up to a position shown as for example in Figure the piping indicated at 13 in Figure 6 having been obliterated by the second pouring as indicated in Figure 7 and the cover frozen to the metal. After the second pourin of the metal, it is preferable to cover a separate block similar to the block 16 0 Figure 9 or 20 of Fi re 12.

Ifistead of using the'one-piece cover as shown in Figure 8 and breaking away the thin portion 11, I may use the two-piece cover shown in Figure 9 in which 14 is a block preferably of refractory material having a hole 15 therein. 16 is a separate block of material large enough to cover the hole 15. After filling the mold with the molten metal to a height as indicated in Figure 9, I set on top of the metal the block 14 and after an interval of time more metal is poured into the mold to obliterate the iping 13 the metal rising, for example, to t e position shown in Figure 10. While the metal is still melted, I then place the 15 and allow the metal to cool before removing the covers 14 and 16.

In Fi ure 13 I show a modification-of the bloc 14 of Figures lO and 11. This block has a flange 18 and a hole 19. This block is manipulated in the same wa asthe one shown in metal and pouring a fresh supply of melted metal,- allowing 1t to pass under a portionof the refractorycover and into the recipient.

the hot top or cover laced on top of the melted metal. The ladle fresh supply of of piping in the top of metallic ingots comprising ling amold with the metal to a predetermined height, partially covering the metal witha heat insulating cover that will slightly sink into the top of the melted metal, then allowing the metal to slightly freeze around the cover and after the metal has frozen around the submerged portion of;

the cover, removing a part 0 the cover to expose a part of the-top of the metal and pouring in a fresh supply of metal, then recovering the exposed metal with a heat insulatingportion to retain the heat while the metal is finally cooling.

.4. A hot top for a mold comprising a'normally horizontal cover portion and vertically extending side portions smaller than the interior of the mold and composed of material lighter than the metal so that the lower portion of the vertically extending side portions will sink into the metal in the mold sufficiently to be held firmly to the metal after it is partially frozen, said horizontal portionbeing adapted to be easily separated from the verticall extending portions to expose the top of the metal.

5. A hot top comprising a cover portion and projections extending below the cover and enough the metal to rise around the lower part of said projections, the cover adapted to be easily separated from said downwardly extending portions to allow metal to be poured into the mold and rise Within the downwardly extending portions.

6. A hot top for a metal mold comprisin a cover with a flange at the bottom of the cover the cover fitting loosely in the mold and being sufiiciently heavy to cause the flange to sink into the molten metal and be held in the mold when'the metal partiallv the hot top flanged porfreezes, the central portion of being easily separated from the tions to allow metal to be poured into the surrounding, flanged portions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

1 ANDREW R. ROWE.

smaller thanthe mold to allow proper being 

